The present invention relates to a vending machine and in particular, to a vending machine of a manually operated lever type.
In a known vending machine of such a type disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication 21332/67, a genuine coin selected by a coin selector is introduced to a gap between a lever referred to as a coin plate and a fixed plate referred to as a coin guide plate. The coin is engaged in the gap because the coin is larger than the gap. When a manually operated lever is pushed down, the coin is pressed into the gap an enlarges the gap to move the coin plate. The coin plate is turned on a supporting pivot and moves a link lever in a direction to move a ratchet. The movement of the ratchet moves a discharging plate by one pitch to discharge an article.
In the known vending machine, the discharging plate is driven by a small movement of the coin plate when the coin is pressed into the small gap between the coin plate and the coin guide plate, it is impossible to move the discharging plate over a long stroke or several pitches by manual operation of the lever. Accordingly, the known machine is possible to vend relatively small articles but is not suitable to vend relatively large articles.
Further, articles to be sold are often packages each of which contains goods packed by a wrap member. In some cases, the packages are prepared as connected each other to form a strip of continuous long package string or belt. When the articles are sold, each package must be separated from the package belt. In a vending machine handling such a package belt, any cutter is usually equipped for separating each package from the package belt. However, the cutter may injure operators who perform inspection and repair of the machine.